1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to containers for transporting plants, and more particularly to such containers that maintain the growing conditions for the plant during shipment and include tamper resistant features.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common to use small shipping containers filled with soil to transport live plants. Such containers should protect the plant during shipment, keep the soil around the plant's roots, and keep the soil moist.
Some buyers desire specific types of plants that must be maintained in a vegetative or flowering growing stage during shipment. Because the growing stage of a plant is controlled by the length of light exposure, it is desirable that_the plant must be shipped in a shipping container containing a constantly illuminated light source. If the light source inside the container is discontinued at anytime during shipment, the plant will transform into a growing stage that may not be acceptable to the buyer.
Some buyers also want a specific gender or a variety of plant. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine the plant's gender when the plant is young. Buyers must trust the grower that the plant delivered is the correct gender that can be verified when the plant grows to maturity. Because growers often rely on third party shipping companies to transport their plants to their buyers, growers must carefully tract and monitor the plants they transported to the shipping company and transported to the buyers to ensure sure the plant containers are not altered or tampered.
Sometimes, the plants that require illuminated containers must be shipped in wet soil or in water. The shipping container therefore must be leak proof and the light source used in the shipping container must be protected and kept dry
What is needed is a plant container that addresses all of the above stated issues.